The Captain's Log Vol. 47 Issue 8

The Captain’s Log THE VOICE OF CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT UNIVERSITY STUDENTS @CNUCAPTAINSLOG

W W W.T H E C A P T A I N S LO G . O R G

VOLUME 47, ISSUE 8

OCTOBER 28, 2015

Members of University Sounds perform at this year’s Glow in the Darcappella concert hosted in the Ferguson Concert Hall on Oct. 23.

CROWNING CAPTAINS

Ben Leistensnider/the captain’s log

GLOW HARD OR GO HOME

By Victoria Lurie Victoria.lurie.13@cnu.edu

It’s black as a nightmare and around you on all sides is chattering and breathing. The only thing piercing the darkness is four glowing mic stands.

Sounds kind of like Orwell’s Room 101 or a bad acid trip, right? Except it’s actually one of the biggest student events at Christopher Newport University: the annual Glow.

These days, Glow in the Darcappella is the crowning jewel of the CNU a cappella scene.

Glow continued on page 3

News 4

Mary-Kate Hovanic and CJ Cahill react after they are announced CNU’s Homecoming Queen and King during halftime of Saturday’s football game. (Below) Delta Gamma won the Captains Cup for its participation in Homecoming. Ben Leistensnider/the captain’s log

Mary-Kate Hovanic and CJ Cahill were named the Homecoming Queen and King, while the sisters of Delta Gamma received the Captain’s Cup.

By Ben Leistensnider benjamin.leistensnider.13@cnu.edu

Seniors CJ Cahill and Mary-Kate Hovanic became this year’s Homecoming King and Queen during the halftime of the football game on Oct. 24.

With his win, Cahill became the third King in a row to represent the brothers of Sigma Phi Epsilon.

Hovanic—who represented the sis-

ters of Alpha Sigma Alpha—showed a wave of shock and emotion when her name was called.

Right before the crowning, the sisters of Delta Gamma won the Captain’s Cup, which goes to the organization that shows the best spirit and participation over the course of the week.

One of the organization’s highlights was its first-place winning Yell like Hell performance. n

Can liberal arts education be saved?

CAS hosted a conference to explore the issue.

Sports 10 Field hockey nears undefeated CAC regular season.

Lifestyle 15 Howl-O-Scream offers more lines than scares.

PAGE 2 Weekly pic The brothers of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity perform the Haka as part of their chant during the Golf Cart Parade, an event in which the fraternity finished second overall. They were led by senior Robert Villoch. Photo by Ben Leistensnider/The Captain’s Log

Online this week

Happened

Happening

Relive the Sights and Sounds of Homecoming Week with CNU TV! Check out these videos on our Facebook page.

Oct. 22 Liberal Education and its Critics The Center for American Studies hosted its 9th annual Conference on America’s Founding Principles and History in the DSU Ballroom. Read about what guest speakers had to say about free speech and the fate of higher education at CNU on page 4.

Oct. 28 DTM Sleeping Bag Giveaway Tonight, 6:30 p.m. at the Farmer’s Market at 29th and Jefferson, Downtown Ministries is giving away sleeping bags to the homeless of Newport News. Contact margaret.comita.12@cnu.edu or kayla.vandevrede.12@cnu.edu for more info.

Oct. 23 Oktoberfest Featuring the Wind Ensemble Last Friday, during lunch hour, the CNU Wind Ensemble assembled in the plaza for its very own celebration of Oktoberfest, with festive music and bratwurst in the fresh autumn weather.

Oct. 28 “A Place At The Table” From 7-9 p.m. in the Gaines Theater, Bonner Service Scholars present a screening of “A Place At The Table,” a film looking at the food crisis in America, as part of CNU’s 8th Annual Food For Thought Campaign.

Oct. 23 Glow in the Darcappella 2015 CNU a cappella held its sixth annual Glow in the Darcappella last Friday in front of a cheering, soldout crowd in the Ferguson Center for the Arts as part of the Homecoming events of the weekend.

Read more on Glow on pages 1, 3, 9 and 12.

Oct. 30 Improvised Murder Mystery In the Gaines Theater at 8 p.m., improvisation club, A Troupe Called Quest will present an intriguing improvised murder mystery for a special Halloween performance.

Glow in the Darcappella The most exciting a cappella event of the year surpassed expectations yet again and sold out the Ferguson Center which contains over 1,700 seats. Watch CNU TV’s coverage of Darcappella’s best moments.

Midnight Madness Relive the madness that occured in the Freeman Center, where students gathered and got pumped up for basketball season.

Homecoming candidates and emojis You probably know the Homecoming candidates by now, but CNU TV gets to know them even better by asking them to chose which emojis best describe them... Hilarity ensues.

Oct. 24 Announcing Homecoming King & Queen 2015 This Sat. during the half-time of the CNU Homecoming game, seniors CJ Cahill and Mary -Kate Hovanic were announced the new Homecoming King and Queen of 2015 by popular vote! Congratulations!

Oct. 31 SigEp’s PowderPuff Football Tournament From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Sat. come out to SigEp’s tournament. All proceeds will go to the Big Brothers Big Sisters philanthropy.

The Captain’s Log Staff 2015-2016

THE CAPTAIN’S LOG is the official student newspaper of Christopher Newport University. It is a public forum, which is published Wednesdays throughout the academic year.

THE EDITOR welcomes letters from readers. Editors reserve the right to edit letters for length and AP style, as well as to refuse publication. An email with a “.doc” attachment is preferable. Reach us through: - Email: clog@cnu.edu - Drop off: The Captain’s Log newsroom, DSU Suite 393 Join the staff The Captain’s Log is always open to students who are interested in writing, photography and editing. Editors assign stories every Sunday at 7 p.m. in the Jefferson Room of the DSU. want to advertise? Circulation inquiries, advertising rates and policies are available upon request via email at clog@cnu.edu or telephone at (757) 594-7196. For more information, visit our website at thecaptainslog.org.

Josh Reyes Editor-in-chief Jack Jacobs News Editor Alex Josephs Assistant News Editor Ben Leistensnider Sports Editor Bethany Pyle Lifestyle Editor Victoria Lurie A&E Editor Katherine Gittman Assistant A&E Editor Kelsey Berg Digital Content Editor Faris Sleem Co-Digital Content Editor

Macy Friend Photography Editor Patrick Dubois Assistant Photography Editor Sarah Martin Copy Editor Collin Brennan CNUTV Editor Jacob Hudson CNUTV Assistant Editor Kelsey Schnoebelen Marketing Director Brandon Hubbard Business Manager Terry Lee Faculty Advisor

FROM THE FRONT PAGE

GLOW HARD OR GLOW HOME Glow continued from page 1

(Above) All of the a capella groups come togther on stage after Glow to pose for pictures and celebrate the end of the event.

(Middle) Members of Extreme Measures incorporate a duet into their performance. tyrus Wood/the captain’s log

A behind the scenes look at Glow preparations

By Victoria Lurie Victoria.lurie.13@cnu.edu

Molly Johnson (Left) of The Newport Pearls and Brittingham Nunn (Right) of Take Note perform their sets. Ben Leistensnider/the captain’s log

Glow in the Darcappella isn’t just a popular concert—it’s a feat of professionalism. Glow is done by the students, for the students. Each of the six a cappella groups select their own set list and choreograph their own routines.

Expansion’s president Jon Toms booked the concert hall and organized ticket sales and media coverage. Even the ushers employed by the Ferguson Center that night were students.

A cappella members were also responsible for tabling in the DSU to promote the show, and putting out press releases. “Being on a college campus is really interesting, you’re trying to sell something especially when you’re trying to sell to college kids,” said O’Reilly. “It was our job to sell 1,700 tickets and by the time we were about a week away from the event, I got really worried that this was going to be the first year we were not going to sell out.”

O’Reilly says it was difficult for the a cappella community to get into gear at first, given that a lot of students take for granted that Glow is something everyone automatically knows about. “We had to make sure to actively participate and remember to inform people of the event, rather than just assuming that people knew that it was happening.”

Costumes also had to be prepped for “A lot of us make Glow runs the week of,” said Oliver. “We’re always on the look out for glow hair spray and neon face paint.”

Since Glow is conveniently located in the same month as Halloween, this is easier to procure than any other time of year. Senior Glow veterans like Emma Oliver of The Newport Pearls also have a few outfits to fall back on already.

“I’ve gotten better every year at judging what clothes will glow best,” she says. “I shop in advance because I see neon and automatically think of Glow in the Darcappella; it just comes with the territory.” n

Pe ople buy t icket s we ek s i n advance, and while a few a cappella groups amp up their social media presence to promote the event, it’s word-of-mouth that winds up filling the Ferguson Center concert hall to capacity. This year people lined up two hours ahead of time to get a good seat.

But it wasn’t always that way. “My freshman year, Glow was still in the M&T hall so we had a much smaller audience,” said senior Newport Pearl Emma Oliver, who was part of the first group this year to play to the almost at-capacity Ferguson Concert Hall. In 2012, “we were sold out and had to turn away hundreds at the door,” she said.

Glow has grown since Oliver’s tenure as a college a cappella newbie.

This year’s a ca-freshmen had been groomed to expect certain things from Glow. “I’ve heard rumors that it is one of the most hyped events on campus so I am really excited to be a part of it,” U Sounds freshman inductee Lauren McCaffrey said a few days prior to the event. “I’m expecting that it will be very crazy, intense, a lot of excitement and energy both from the groups and from the crowds,” said Jack Stoyanoff, another U Sounds newbie.

The event met expectations. “I was surprised that I wasn’t nervous,” said McCaffrey. “It was just what we have always done except that there were a thousand people in the audience watching us and screaming… that was the surprise that people wou ld screa m.” For Stoya nof f, though, the crowd reaction was a confidence boost. “[U Sounds’] mic check just didn’t go smoothly so we lost a bit of confidence after that, but then we went out and the crowd was incredible.”

Even tenured a cappella members were impressed with the crowd reaction. “The energy level was just incredible this year,” said Expansion member Gray O’Reilly. “We had a super vibrant crowd that was easy to feed off of.”

Recently, the crowd at Glow has expanded beyond the student body.

Now that Glow is part of Homecoming Weekend, a sizable a cappella alumni base returns for the concert, and performers’ families have begun to make the trek down to the peninsula for the show. “My family came to see me and I loved opening and being able to watch everyone else and I enjoyed every single second of it,” said Oliver. For others, though, it’s their a cappella family that made the night worthwhile.

“We managed to pull it together and we all felt great afterward; all the work and practices definitely paid off,” said Stoyanoff of his U Sounds family. “We wanted our work to be reflected in a good performance and we pulled it off which is all I can ask for.” n Katherine Gittman and Madeleine Schuler contributed to this story.

NEWS Panelists and speakers, hosted by the Center for American Studies, voiced their concern for liberal education.

By Rachel Wagner Rachel.wagner.15@cnu.edu

Numerous challenges threaten the liberal arts in American higher education.

Compromised free speech, the rise of technology and antiintellectualism are just a few of the issues that were addressed in the Center for American Studies’ “Liberal Education and its Critics” conference on Oct. 22.

FIRE sets sights on free speech restrictions Greg Lukianof f, president and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, spoke about t he i ncreasi ng problem of college campus policies restricting speech and his organization’s efforts to fight the trend.

FIRE is a nonprofit educational foundation focused on civil rights in higher education.

“On a daily basis, I’m fighting for rights so unprotected on [college] campus[es],” Lukianoff said.

He criticized microaggressions, calling them a “worrisome trend” that threaten the unrestricted flow of ideas and viewpoints critical to learning as well as the rights of students to free speech.

Microaggressions, the everyday verbal and nonverbal communications that snub individuals based upon their identities have expanded, Lukianoff said.

In some places the phrase “America is a melting pot” is considered a microaggression, he said, noting that even the word microaggression has been treated as a microaggression in some institutions.

FIRE will take institutions to court to protect the rights of students and keep a record of institutions’ record regarding student rights.

Free speech challenges on CNU’s campus This conference isn’t the first time FIRE has visited CNU. F I R E gives CNU a yel low light rating, meaning that CNU is an institution “with at least one ambiguous policy that too easily encourages administrative abuse and arbitrary application,” according to FIRE’s website.

Policies that ear ned CNU a yellow light rating include,

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Can liberal arts education be saved?

Greg Lukianoff served as a keynote speaker for the conference. He criticized microaggressions and their impact on learning and student rights on campuses. He also discussed FIRE’s efforts on CNU’s campus to protect students’ rights. Ben leistensnider/the captain’s log among others, from the Student Handbook: Student Code of Conduct, “Abusive Conduct 14 -15”, a harassment policy, and “Obscene Conduct 14-15”, a tolerance, respect and civility policy.

FIRE uses a stoplight-like rating system to rate student rights on college campuses that is available on its website.

Green light means that policies have no impact on freedom of speech, while yellow light is potentially problematic.

Red light means that free speech is limited to designed free speech zones on campus, wearing stickers or pins for being a “free speaker,” or other policies which seriously prohibit or discourage any kind of freedom of expression.

Some universities have an exempt rating.

An exempt rating means that students have severely constricted rights.

FIRE actually assisted CNU in amending university policy in 2012 when Paul Ryan, then vice-presidential candidate, scheduled a last minute visit to CNU for a rally.

The Feminist A lliance wanted to picket the event to protest Ryan’s views on abortion.

T he club wa s told t h at

because of a policy stating that all picketing or demonstrations required a notification to the university ten days prior to the event, members would not be able to protest.

The Feminist Alliance is a now-defunct women’s rights group.

F I R E aide d st udent s to encourage administration to change the restrictive policies.

T hi s a ssi st a nc e i nclude d sending a letter directly to Paul Trible asking for the rescinding of these policies that prohibited the students from protesting.

After a lot of media coverage and communication with FIRE, CNU worked to amend their policies to be less restrictive.

Students can locate all of CNU’s current yellow light policies on FIRE’s website, thefire. org.

Students can also find information from the previous cases between CNU and FIRE on the website.

Lukianoff encouraged students to look into their school’s policies and f ight for t hei r rights.

Lukianof f seems proud of wh at t he or ga n i z at ion h a s accomplished, citing the progress FIRE has made within the past few years across American college campuses.

When it comes to freedom of speech on college campuses, “we used to be worse”, Lukianoff said, “but we are getting better.”

The threat of technology and anti-intellectualism Mark Bauerlein, who is frequently criticized for his beliefs t h at te ch nolog y a nd yout h culture are “anti-intellectual,” spoke about the importance of finding passion in life.

He identified the reasons for his dislike of the younger generation’s culture as due to the growth of technology and youth culture.

Despite frequent critiques of his ideas, Bauerlein still believes that today’s youth has lost touch of the good things in life.

He encouraged students to fight against the forces of conformity.

“The things that make you interesting to other eighteenyear-olds are not the things that will make you interesting to other thirty-year-olds,” he said.

B auerlei n a l so h ad some dating advice to the audience.

“Take prospective girlfriends to bookstores. If they aren’t interested, they might not be the right choice,” he said.

Rising costs and course competition Peter Lawler of Berry College, and Joseph Knippenberg of Oglethorpe University held a panel on the state of liberal education as a whole.

Both speakers expressed genuine concern about the future of higher education.

Lawler identified problems such as the rising cost of education, and the increased focus on concepts such as “critical thinking” and “communications” over traditional academics as being challenges to the liberal arts education.

Knippenberg spoke about the recent political emphasis on higher education.

He also lamented the focus of “hot majors” that are dictated by society and workforce needs.

Knippenberg charged that society needs scholars, and when the government decides to marginalize studies, it not only hurts education but society as a whole as well. n

Want more information on free speech challenges at CNU? Visit thefire.org for more information.

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CNU professor earns government grant to teach in Tajikistan Wheeler will teach English in Tajikistan through July.

By Sam Camilletti samantha.camilletti.12@cnu.edu

Travelling to foreign countries always invites new and exciting experiences.

Moving to an unknown culture in order to teach can be an altogether different experience.

CNU’s very own Dr. Rebecca Wheeler, English professor and director of the linguistic minor, will have the opportunity to teach i n t he cent ra l A sia n country of Tajikistan thanks to the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program grant.

“I do not have expectations.

I do expect to enter the great unknown and to be receptive to it. That’s part of what Fulbright is.

You are going into a place where maybe you have no experience and a people who may be very different from who we are, and my task is to be open and welcome and sharing… and [to] learn new ways of being human,” Wheeler said.

The Fulbright award is an all-expenses paid, international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government.

To rec eive t he F u lbr i g ht grant, one must apply for it, where, based on academic and

courtesy of rebecca wheeler

Dr. Wheeler will teach English to students at the Tajik State University of Commerce in Khujand, Tajikistan. She will also write academic papers drawing on her experiences. Khujand is located in the north of the central Asian country. CIA World Factbook

p r o fe s sio n a l a c h ieve m e nt , applicants have a possibility of being selected to teach abroad.

To receive the grant is a big achievement.

Wheeler is one of only about 1,2 0 0 U.S. citizens who will have the opportunity to travel abroad through the Fulbright grant this year.

Wheeler is well known for sharing her passion of linguistics with her students here at CNU, and will, for the first time

in her life, be able to share that passion with others in Tajikistan.

Wheeler will be working in the English prog ram at the Tajik State University of Commerce in Khujand, Tajikistan.

She will be around students and faculty who already know English, but will otherwise be in a Tajiki speaking town.

Wheeler says that she plans on taking lessons in order to learn the basics of Tajiki.

The Fulbright program awarded the grant to Dr. Wheeler. photo

When she returns to CNU next year, she is positive that this experience will influence her teaching here.

“As a linguist, I will be listening to and ready to write academic articles about what it means to be a central-Asian speaker learning to teach English.”

She said she plans to take the experiences of teaching and living in Tajikistan and incorporate them into her classes at

CNU. Wheeler leaves Jan. 25, and will return to the United States in July.

The Fulbright program was created in 1946 as a f lagship educational exchange program for the U.S. government.

The Fulbright program was designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. n

New three-part global diversity workshop series comes to campus The workshops will explore multiculturalism and how to interact with individuals of different cultures.

By Jack Jacobs John.jacobs.13@cnu.edu

CNU’s newest diversity initiative seeks to give students the tools and ability to interact with people of different cultures.

The three hourlong workshops focus on different aspects of cultural awareness.

“Each work shop re a l ly focuses on trying to get our students to u nderst a nd t he importance of global competency … and why it matters to our students,” Ben Cowman, assistant director for diversity initiatives, said.

Cowman cited growing interconnectivity between cultures and economies as reasons for the value of the Global Competency workshops.

He said that the workshops do not provide full global competency but serve to introduce the fundamentals to students.

Cowman declined to share specifics about what students

w i l l do i n t he work shops, saying that the unknown element is a key part of the learning experience.

The first workshop has students reflect on their own identities.

It wi l l explore for mative ex p er ienc es a nd how t hey inf luence the lives of participants.

The second workshop focuses on conflict resolution.

Cowman said that misunderstandings are to be expected when individuals of different cultures interact and that the workshop will provide tools for students to diffuse situations involving conflict.

He said that understanding cultural norms that govern specific topics and activities, such as personal space and sense of time, can minimize m i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g s wh i l e interacting with other cultures.

The final workshop looks at how i ndividua ls i mpact

local and global communities t h roug h t hei r actions. T he value of being a global citizen will also be explored.

T he Globa l Competency Certification workshops count as one of the four experiences required to complete the Cultural Plunge program.

The Cultural Plunge program is a diversity awareness program in which students embark on four experiences to explore cultures and identities different than their own.

Students who can’t make all three workshops for certification can make up missed workshops in the spring semester.

For more information or to register, contact Cowman at ben.cowman@cnu.edu. n

Ben Cowman is coordinating the workshop series, which is part of the Cultural Plunge program. macy friend/ The Captain’s Log

Workshop schedule Workshop 1: Nov. 1 noon to 1 p.m. | Workshop 2: Nov. 12 noon to 1 p.m. | Workshop 3: Nov. 19 noon to 1 p.m.

RVSP at ben.cowman@cnu.edu

OPINIONS Going home is a funny thing For some students, going home isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. While seeing family can be fun, it’s a reminder of how much has changed.

A few weekends ago we were graced with a small break from college and had the option to go home to see our families. The thing is, and it might seem cruel to say, I was more excited to see my dog than my family members.

Unlike family members, dogs don’t ask you about your progress in finding a kelsey Ripa job after graduation, your staff writer financial plan, how your grades are doing, or come down on you for believing something they don’t.

However, after spending time with my family, I realized all of the questions, pressure and worrying are signs that your family loves you. Dogs may be affectionate but parents are concerned with your success and wellbeing. When we’re at school they aren’t as involved as they used to be, so they inquire about how we’ve changed, our opinions, and what we plan to do.

Coming to college is a whole new experience because for the first time we have the chance to think for ourselves and develop opinions by learning new things in the classes we take. When we lived with our families, we were brought up to think and believe whatever our parents believed; be it politics, religion or opinions on social matters.

However, going back to an extremely conservative family when you’ve gained a more liberal and feminist way of thinking while at college can make for some awkward moments during Thanksgiving and Christmas. Trust me.

With every concern they have, every question they ask, they might feel like they’re losing their child they spent nearly 18 years molding and crafting into the adult they wanted. Sometimes it’s hard for them to grasp the fact that we still have a lot of growing up to do, and it doesn’t take place under their protective wings.

It’s hard enough to balance between homework, classes, work and finding a career after college; but to hear our parents ask about our plans out loud somehow seems to enhance any sort of expectation we have to reach for them. Their constant helicopter hovering seems to press down on all the weight we’re already struggling to carry.

However, through all this hovering and disagreement, know that your parents still love and care about you (which is one of the reasons why they hover so much). I’ve come to accept that as much as I’m entitled to my opinions, they’re entitled to theirs.

They just have to get used to the fact that they will not be involved in every single aspect of our lives, and we will not see eye to eye on everything. They’re the only family we have. It’d be a shame to lose them, no matter how much they get on our nerves. n

“The Captain’s Log is free to write anything it pleases, and CNU fully respects the Freedom of the press.”

Page 6

CNU President Paul Trible

Speaker series: calling up a hometown hero A person like Mike Tomlin—a Newport News native and Super Bowlwinning coach in the NFL—illustrates that students can come out of Newport News and make a huge impact on the world.

Current head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Won Super Bowl XLIII in 2009.

Newport News native and graduate of Denbigh High School.

Mike Tomlin returns to the area every year to host and help run youth football camps. Last year, one of the camps took place at CNU’s Pomoco stadium. Brook ward/Creative commons In the editorial I wrote last week, I called for student inclusion in the commencement speaker selection process. Students should to be involved in picking the person who headlines their graduation, and I believe that students would hope for a speaker that doesn’t Josh reyes fit the mold of the last editor-in-chief few speakers—white, political and a few generations removed from the student body.

But I’m not calling for shaking things up just for the sake of doing things differently.

The school could use some new perspectives— especially considering the overall homogeneity of students on campus. And rather than pulling a speaker from the world of business and politics, why don’t we look to other fields? As a liberal arts and sciences college, a little variety should be a given, right?

And looking at our home city, there’s a rich tradition of arts and athletics here that we can celebrate at commencement. A local hero who has had great success in his field, and I believe would have a lot to offer in a speech, is Mike Tomlin, the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

To me, Tomlin is the most inspiring local who made waves in the world of athletics. He never played professionally and went from playing at the College of William and Mary straight into coaching. He eventually became the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl when he led the Steelers to the championship in 2009 at age 36. He also became only the second black coach to win the big game.

Mike Tomlin grew up in Newport News and graduated from Denbigh High School when CNU was still CNC. Even though he didn’t go to CNU,

Former football star and graduate of the College of William & Mary.

he’s been involved with the school.

This summer, he hosted a youth football camp at Pomoco Stadium where he mentored and coached local kids, according to an article in the Daily Press. Tomlin comes back to the area to headline and help these football camps every summer.

He also maintains a connection to his roots through his penchant for adding other Hampton Roads athletes to his roster—most notably former Warwick High School football star Michael Vick, who is currently Tomlin’s starting quarterback.

He serves as a reminder to students to stay connected to where they come from, reiterating the “Captain for life” idea that I promise will be brought up over and over at commencement.

Tomlin also proves that people can do big things even if they don’t go to a big school.

He came from William and Mary, not exactly a notable football powerhouse, and ended up achieving the ultimate feat in his profession faster than anyone else ever has.

Additionally, the star power surrounding a successful NFL coach speaking at CNU just adds a huge level of excitement to the day—the final undergraduate memory made by the graduating seniors.

I’m not saying Tomlin has to be the choice—I think he has a set of qualities and achievements that would generate buzz before commencement.

Of course, we can’t always predict who will give a great speech, but given his background and track record, it’s not a stretch to think that he’d have plenty to say that would engage and inspire students.n

Want to share your thoughts on CNU’s commencement? Drop in a recommendation for a speaker or the selection process by emailing us at clog@cnu.edu.

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The millennials’ microaggression obsession Letter to the editor: Last week’s “Dear white people,” column is an example of the issue microaggression causes on college campuses.

“Microagression. Hmm, this should be interesting,” the first words I thought while reading the previous edition of The Captain’s Log. I was quite wrong.

As I rummaged through the author’s anecdotes of perceived microagression, it seemed to me she was used to applying individual instances of behavior to the masses. Microaggression is another buzzword that has made its mark on university grounds, ben genovese and it won’t be going away withcontributor out causing unnecessary trouble.

The idea of microaggression is an attempt to label everyday interactions as racist, sexist, bigoted, homophobic, etc. If I ask if you’re on the football team, maybe I’m just curious. If a student says a certain area is sketchy, perhaps it’s because that area has higher concentrations of crime compared to what they have experienced on campus at CNU. Microagression is based on the principle that racism, sexism or anything of the like can root from non-racist or non-sexist actions. This notion is so dangerous because it equates instances of real prejudice and hatred with daily, conventional interactions. The two are not synonymous. If an instance of microaggression can be defined as neither the perpetrator nor the victim even believing what the former said was offensive, then it doesn’t exist.

Across the United States, universities have been experiencing “microaggression” protests, almost entirely student-driven. College administrations have taken serious interest in the complaints; most cases involve trifling, almost non-issue claims of victimhood, and often result in administrators undermining faculty members in the interests of the students’ feelings.

These student groups convince the administration to demand professors speak sensitively and ensure all students feel comfortable in class. Even saying, “America is a land of opportunity,” has been labeled an insensitive microaggressive attack on women and minorities. At the University of California, Los Angeles, a professor who changed “Indigenous” to “indigenous” in a graduate student’s dissertation was accused of being insensitive to indigenous peoples’ culture. Apparently, following Chicago Style is bellicose, watch out guys.

Comedians like Chris Rock and Jerry Seinfeld have stopped doing shows on college campuses because the environment is oversensitive. Maybe it’s time for an evaluation of the millennial temperament: does everything have to be offensive? Comedians don’t want to express themselves on campuses anymore because it isn’t fun; college campuses should be the most fun place to perform.

The argument of oversensitivity is often dismissed without consideration, a social ill if you ask me. Walking around campus with an inflated sense of ostracism because you think everyone around you is a bigot is bound to make you feel marginalized. Convincing others that this non-existent excommunication is happening is poisonous to those who were otherwise fine. Facts don’t care about your feelings.

Abraham Lincoln said, “If you look for the bad in people expecting to find it, you surely will.” Instead of trying to excavate any and all potential aggression and be offended by each and every odd question or droll conversation, perhaps try and get to know the person better yourself.

Practice what you preach.

Is my use of the word “trifling” above an example of microaggression because it is routinely used as a slang word? Or am I just using the actual definition of the word in an appropriate context? Perhaps the most important question is, does it really matter? n

Changing Columbus Day From the Reiff Center: The U.S. should not dedicate a holiday to Columbus; it should use the day to celebrate Native Americans.

Several states have shifted from celebrating Columbus Day to promoting and celebrating Native Americans and indigenous cultures. ince vautrin, Fondo Antiguo/Creative commons via reiff center RYAN MCCANN REIFF CENTER contributor

I remember when I was much younger that fall always marked a time of change and festivity. In elementary school, I recall drawing pumpkins, making hand turkeys, and hearing about the same stories that were at the core of the American mythos. Dashing heroes down on their luck, which were able to rise to the occasion and achieve greatness, seemed to be a common theme among them.

One of the more popular stories told using this narrative framework was that of the heroic Christopher Columbus discovering America. Much like the other children in my class, I never questioned Columbus’ apparent heroism and focused on the fact that I got a day off from school.

The question of Columbus’ fame is something at odds with American tradition. It is strange to remember the brutality and the savagery of American conquest and yet be complacent to accept such a notorious figure for having a national holiday.

Columbus has less in common with the archetype of an American hero and more in common with an American villain such as Al Capone.

Instead, we celebrate Columbus Day as a sort of excuse for sales and for special fall deals. This flippant nature towards Columbus, although without negative intentions, fails to recognize the era of terror he ushered in for the millions of indigenous people who dotted the American landscape. It trivializes early American history into a white washed world where American history “started” when Columbus first set foot on the so-called, “New World”.

I first want to talk about Columbus as an individual and how he represents nothing close to our idealized portrayal of him. It is important to note that he was by no means some enlightened leader looking to find new adventure; he was simply trying to find a new passage to Asia for the spice trade. This would ultimately make him very rich and he made an effort to try to persuade any court that would listen to take him up on his offer.

As a result, Columbus went to the Spanish court to propose his idea. The Spanish court agreed and sent Columbus staffed with a crew and multiple ships to explore his proposed passage route.

When he landed in the Americas, he declared that he landed in Asia (notably even when evidence proved to be the contrary Columbus was still set

in this belief). Besides his initial remarks about how easy it would be to enslave the indigenous native population, Columbus also initiated the transatlantic slave trade in 1494.

Ever since the 1990’s there has been the movement to eradicate “Columbus Day” and replace it with something respectful towards indigenous peoples. South Dakota and Berkley, California were the first to change the name to Native American Day and Indigenous Peoples Day, respectively.

Afterwards an influx of cities and states followed culminating into the present year where nine cities changed the name to something recognizing indigenous peoples.

The successes have been meager but they have been a start and it has carried a large following on social media. Some people have tweeted “I’m celebrating Columbus Day by walking into a stranger’s home and claiming it as my own. Housewarming party to be announced.” or pictures of Columbus crossed out with denunciations of the holiday.

Although the victories have been slow, there does seem to be a movement gaining traction focused on abolishing the holiday and replacing it with something respectful to American Indians.

In the past few years, when Columbus Day comes around, more articles seem to pop up regarding the controversial holiday. As my generation grows older, and more experienced with the less positive aspects of American history, I do not believe that we can celebrate a holiday that represents so much death and suffering.

To those who endorse the holiday as a means of tradition remember the fact that less than half of American States deem it important enough to have a paid vacation and that traditions change all the time. One of the factors that make America great is, and always will be, its diversity.

The United States has been by no means perfect in accepting other cultures but we have a long and storied history of how we as a collective strove to do better. Perhaps you might believe that changing the name of holiday will not exactly be a perfect win towards diversity in America but it represents a start in recognizing the history and significance of the indigenous people who called this place their home long before a single European set foot on this land. I think that is something that we can all celebrate. n Please read the full blog post and others at http://reiffcenterblog.cnu.edu/

SNAPSHOT

Page 8

Homecoming Week Recap

Homecoming gives CNU students a chance to showcase their talents and participate in several school spirit oriented activities.

By macy friend macy.friend.14@cnu.edu

Excitement for Homecoming grew as decorated signs representing various student organizations sat in the plaza, placed at the beginning of the week.

Homecoming weekend festivities kicked off with Glow in the Darcappella on Fri. Oct. 23 in the Ferguson Center Concert Hall.

Glow fe at u r e d a l l si x o f CNU’s a cappella groups, with Hypnotic Control opening. Students put their own creative spin on popular hits ranging from Panic! At the Disco to Wiz Khalifa.

Midnight Madness followed Glow and included games, food,

basketball and a dance number by all the members of the Homecoming Court.

The Golf Cart Parade preceded t he footba l l ga me on Saturday as several student organizations showed off their decorative capabilities. The Improvacateurs were the winners of the golf cart parade.

The football game against Frostburg State signaled the impending end of Homecoming week. Although mounting a comeback in the fourth, CNU lost 19-14.

During halftime, the Homecoming Court took to the field where the King and Queen were crowned. CJ Cahill won King and Mary-Kate Hovanic won Queen. n

For more coverage on Glow in the Darcappella see pages 3 and 12.

(Top left) Sisters of Gamma Phi Beta march in the Golf Cart Parade. (Left) Last year’s Homecoming King and Queen, Emilio Marmol and Allie Hackbarth, drive their golf cart in the parade. (Above) Mary-Kate Hovanic and CJ Cahill pose with President Paul Trible and Rosemary Trible after being crowned Homecoming Queen and King.

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(Top left) Hypnotic Control opens for the six a cappella groups. (Middle and bottom left) Expansion performs The Weeknd’s “Earned It” and Trebled Youth performs “Drag Me Down” by One Direction. (Above) Sophomore Toria Hester of University Sounds performs a Beyonce mash-up.

(Top) During Midnight Madness, cheerleaders perform their routine.

(Middle) Senior Quinton Pace cheers as the Homecoming Court is introduced.

(Bottom) Students participate in a wing eating challenge.

PHOTOS BY MACY FRIEND, PAIGE KOWAHL, BEN LEISTENSNIDER, HANNAH MCCLURE AND TYRUS WOOD/ the captains log

SPORTS Preparing for Salisbury Page 10

Carol Thompson’s eight goals leads the Captains offense, which will need to be firing on all cylinders for a chance to beat Salisbury. Ben Leistensnider/The Captain’s Log

The Captains are only one game away from having their second undefeated conference regular season in three years as they host seventh-ranked Salisbury on Oct. 28.

by Josh Reyes josh ua.r ey es.12 @ cn u.edu

CNU’s field hockey team was dominant in its 5-0 victory over the Frostburg State Bobcats on Saturday, the final game before its matchup against rival Salisbury.

Dominating Frostburg Senior Lisa Murphy led the Captain attack scoring two goals, one at the start of each half.

Her first score came off a first

half corner and set the tone for the rest of the game.

Her second score came on a breakaway opportunity, initiated by a strong defensive stop.

Murphy’s teammates got her the ball past the midfield line— only the keeper stood between her and the goal.

F r o s t b u r g ’s l a s t l i n e o f defense challenged Murphy at the top of the scoring circle, but she avoided the keeper, turning around her and drilling in a shot on an open net.

Other Captains contributing

goals were sophomore Mackenzie Neylon, senior Taylor Williams and freshman Courtnie Green.

The Captains are now 13-2 overall and 5-0 in the Capital Athletic Conference.

Their biggest challenge yet Although the team had an extremely challenging game a g a i n s t 1 3 t h - r a n ke d M a r y Washington on Oct. 21, the Captains will have one of the most difficult games of their season coming up.

This week in CNU soccer

by Ben Leistensnider benja m i n.l eist ensn i der.13 @ cn u.edu

It was an extremely busy week for CNU’s soccer teams as the two combined to play a total of five games.

T he men’s te a m’s ef for t s were disappointing at the Captains finished the week at 0-1-1 against conference opponents.

T he Capt ai ns looked li ke they would beat Salisbury at

home following a first half goal by junior Patrick Burns, but a Salisbury goal in the last three minutes resulted in a tie.

T he C apt a i n s c ou ld n’t rebound against Mary Washington as sophomore Andrew G ogol i n’s lone goa l wa sn’t enough to prevent a 2-1 loss.

The Captains have to win their final game of the season agai n st M a r y mou nt or t he team will not qualify for the

postseason.

The women’s squad had a much more successful week as the Captains finished 2-1, with both wins coming in Capital Athletic Conference play.

T he Capt ai ns had a wel lrounded offense as their four goals each came from a different player: senior Abby Johnson, rookie MiAsia Pinckney, senior Shaydah Naraghi and senior Lindsay Mondloch. n

T he team’s next match is Wednesday night against conference rival Salisbury, a team currently ranked seventh in the country. The game—the senior night for seven athletes—will end up deciding the seeding for the Captains as they head into the CAC tournament.

The Captains currently stand in first in the CAC, and a victory against Salisbury—a team against whom CNU has a 3-14 record—will determine if they are named the conference regular season champs. n

Up Next #7 Salisbury

Overall Record: 10-3 Conference Record: 5-1 Series record: 3-14 Last matchup: 2-1 (OT) SU

Box Score Men’s soccer Oct. 21: CNU vs. Salisbury University 1-1 T Oct. 24: CNU at University of Mary Washington 2-1 L

Women’s soccer Oct. 21: CNU vs. Salisbury University 1-0 W Oct. 24: CNU vs. Penn State Harrisburg 3-2 W Oct. 25: CNU at Roanoke College 2-0 L

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Football’s 100th win remains elusive

For the sixth game in a row, the Captains were unable to secure their 100th career victory.

by Ben Leistensnider benja m i n.l eist ensn i der.13 @ cn u.edu

There was no better situation than this. Having been unable to register its 100th career win six games in a row, the football team had the chance to reach that milestone in front of a Homecoming crowd of nearly 5,000 excited fans.

That fantasy was crushed when t he C apt a i n s t u r ne d the ball over on downs in the redzone with less than four minutes left in the game to lose to the Frostburg State Bobcats 19-14.

The game seemed to be going CNU’s way early on as the Captains were able to score a touchdown on their first offensive drive with a one-yard scramble by senior quarterback Tyler Quigley.

Following that early lead, the Bobcats struck back with a fury and scored 19 unanswered points over the remainder of the half.

Neither team found a way onto the scoreboard in the third quarter, so hope remained for the Captains as they headed into the fourth.

This hope was raised even

Up Next #18 Salisbury

Overall Record: 5-1 Conference Record: 5-0 Largest victory: 91-7 Series record: 14-16-2 Last matchup: 42-31 SU more when Quigley once again managed to find his way into the endzone on the ground with just over 12 minutes remaining in the game.

Following this scoring drive, the Captains defense stepped up and kept the Bobcats to a three-and-out, giving CNU the ball back with around 10 min-

Taylor Loudan fails to bring in a pass from Tyler Quigley in the team’s 19-14 loss to Frostburg State at Homecoming. The team dropped to 1-6 on the season with the loss. Ben Leistensnider/The Captain’s Log utes left on the clock.

It appeared that the Captains would pull of f the dramatic come-from-behind victory as the team was able to march up the field all the way to the Frostburg State 13-yard line.

It was at this point that the Bobc at s defen se era sed a l l momentum that the Captains

offense had started to accumulate.

Following a two-yard run on first down, the Bobcats managed to catch sophomore Kyree Burton five yards behind the line of scrimmage.

CNU’s offense was unable to regain those yards and turned the ball over on down to essen-

tially seal the team’s fate.

The Captains will attempt to finally win their 100th game as they travel to take on Salisbury on Oct. 31.

If the Captains are unable to beat the Seagulls they have one more chance to win at home as they host William Patterson Nov. 7. n

Captains looking for CAC sweep The Captains will be going for their ninth-straight undefeated conference regular season as they take on Wesley and Marymount in their final two Capital Athletic Conference matchups of the year.

by Ben Leistensnider benja m i n.l eist ensn i der.13 @ cn u.edu

Abby McIntyre (left) was one of three seniors celebrated during the 3-0 Senior Day win over York. Ben Leistensnider/The Captain’s Log

The volleyball team came through big during its annual Senior Day as the Captains swept the York College Spartans in three straight sets to extend their winning streak to 13 straight.

With the victory, the Captains are also only two wins away from having their ninth consecutive undefeated conference regular season.

The Captains dominated the Spartans from the start, as the team jumped out to an early 10-5 start in the first set.

T hi ngs did not get much better for York over the remainder of the match.

After winning the first set

2 5 -17, t he Capt ai ns defense started to step up a bit more to hold the Spartans to just 14 points in the second.

That defensive effort paled in comparison to the third set, in which the Captains limited York to a mere seven points total.

In what has become normal for the season, senior setter Rachel Conway and junior outside hitter Briana Sutton were the clear standouts during the game.

Celebrating her Senior Day along with outside hitters Abby McIntyre and Ash ley Rock, Conway led the team with 28 assists. The next player who was closest to that number was sophomore Tylar McGill with seven.

Sutton meanwhile led the team in three different categories against York with 11 kills, three aces and 16 digs.

Next up for the Captains will be the Wesley College Wolverines on Oct. 28, which will also be the Captains’ final regular season home game.

The Wolverines are currently r id i n g a fou r - g a me lo si n g streak and are out of playoff contention as they are eighth in the 10-team conference with a record of 1-6.

Following the Wesley game, the Captains will travel to take on Marymount. Marymount will prove to be a bit more difficult for the Captains as they stand tied for third in the conference along with Mary Washington with a 5-2 record. n

A+E

concerts Oct. 29 Jazz Swing Dance

Page 12

Nightmare before Halloween

7 p.m., Studio Theatre

Fantastic Planet 8 p.m., the Norva

on campus

in theaters

Oct. 30

Oct. 31

“The Last Witch Hunter” Rated R

A Troupe Called Quest

CAB Haunted House

“Paranormal Activity 4” Rated PG-13

8 p.m., Gaines

8 p.m., Auxiliary Gym

Oct. 31

Oct. 30

The Glow must go on

The sixth-annual a cappella concert delivered every bit of the performance expected.

Is October or December a better fit for this ‘90s gem?

BY Melanie Occhiuzzo melanie.occhiuzzo.13@cnu.edu

There are hundreds of movies that come to mind when you think of good Halloween fun and for most, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is somewhere on that list.

With the word “Christmas” included in the title, most would think that would make it a Christmas movie, right? Wrong. This movie is centered on the Pumpkin King’s harebrained idea to make Christmas his own. This movie is dedicated to a skeleton taking over Christmas and (spoiler alert) kidnapping Santa. This whole idea and the mayhem that ensues comes from the boredom of the pumpkin king.

Christmas ruled by the pumpkin king is anything but merry. He fails to grasp the Christmas spirit, stuck in his own mode of Halloween debauchery. The main song, “This is Halloween” explains everything that is wrong with this botched holiday. Instead of spreading holiday cheer, he spreads holiday fear filled with the screams of all the children involved.

Halloween isn’t made by the day it falls on, it’s made by the crazy Halloween mischief that surrounds the holiday. When you think of Halloween, you think of pumpkins, skeletons and all things spooky, you don’t think of Santa Claus or presents. So next time you and your friends are arguing about what makes this Burton flick a Christmas or a Halloween movie, remember the plot always makes or breaks the movie. There are plenty of Halloween movies that are centered specifically on the 31st of October, but this isn’t necessarily one of them.

“The Nightmare Before Christmas” is a wonderfully spooky movie to watch on Halloween that isn’t specifically about Halloween. It encompasses that ghoulish charm that your spooky obsessed friends will be satisfied with while “your tired of all things Halloween” friends will be happy to watch something different for a change.

Regardless of your preferences, spooky or not, this movie is a great Halloween selection to put on your list. Happy Halloween! n

Trebled Youth members Sam Nicely and Will Libby perform Panic! at the Disco’s “Hallelujah.” ben leistensnider/ the captain’s log

24 The number of total songs performed at Glow 2015.

15 The number of songs performed that were released in 2015.

BY victoria lurie victoria.lurie.13@cnu.edu

You don’t understand the term “sold out” until the doors of the Ferguson Center concert hall open like floodgates and almost a thousand patrons swarm into the concert hall, all gunning for front row. And while only 30 people actually succeeded in getting front row, all six a cappella groups brought enough power that you got a good show no matter where you were sitting.

Hypnotic Control kicked off the night with a pre-show dance performance, and while the phrase “you look better with the lights off” might sound like a back-handed compliment, being able to see only the dancers’ limbs created a, well….hypnotic…effect. The ladies raised the energy level of the entire concert hall, priming the crowd for the concert.

The Newport Pearls (CNU’s premier all-female a cappella group) were the first a cappella group to grace the stage.

They set the bar high, belting out the less-mainstream songs of some fairly mainstream artists: Jessie J’s “Master-

3

11 The number of radioplayed pop hits performed this year.

piece,” Shawn Mendes’ “Something Big” and Tori Kelly’s “Nobody Love.”

Next was Trebled Youth was next with a slew of pop anthems: One Direction’s “Drag Me Down,” Panic! at the Disco’s “Hallelujah” and Taylor Swift’s “I K new You Were Trouble”/ Demi Lovato’s “Heart Attack,” the night’s first mashup.

University Sounds was the last group to go on before intermission, delivering Nick Jonas’ “Chains,” a Beyoncé mashup and a rendition of Sam Smith’s “Lay Me Down” that caused the row of U Sounds alums in front of me to go absolutely berserk—the first standing ovation of the night.

A brief beatboxing battle followed, pitting three a ca-members —Trebled Youth’s Alex Austin (the only girl featured in the battle), U Sounds’s Brendan Player and Expansion’s Will Toll— against each other.

After everyone had finally adjusted to the lights being on, the Ferg went pitch black again. The concert resumed with Expansion, who pandered to their heartthrob persona by singing exclusively songs about sex: Andy Gram-

Frequently covered artists: Beyonce, Shawn Mendes and Charlie Puth.

mer’s “Honey, I’m Good,” The Weeknd’s “Earned it,” and Maroon 5’s “Sugar.”

Extreme Measures followed shortly thereafter with their own sex song, Charlie Puth and Meghan Trainor’s “Marvin Gaye,” that had a quick but cute matching dance number. They then played two powerhouse anthems from well known-pop divas, one lesserknown—Miley Cyrus’ “Nightmare,” which they followed with Destiny’s Child’s “Survivor,” a song hard to not have encountered this side of the 90s.

The group did the divas proud, but the supporting vocals tended to overshadow the featured soloists.

Last of the night was Take Note, who tossed giant balloons into the audience.

They immediately threw it back to 2007 with a mashup of Jason Derulo’s “Whatcha Say” and Chris Brown’s “Forever.”

Shawn Mendes was featured again, this time in an homage to “Stitches.” The last song of the night was an expertly blended mashup of Charlie Puth and Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again” and Ellie Goulding’s “Love Me Like You Do,” that the group dedicated to their loved ones in the audience. n

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13 best fear/festive flicks The October box office is rife with scares and fear on film.

BY Christopher gabro christopher.gabro.14@cnu.edu

13.“Casper”: The movie is perfect for both family and friends and it teaches audiences that no matter hollow you may feel inside, there is always someone out there who will look out of for you—even if that someone is friendly ghost.

12.“The Cabin in the Woods”: A satirical twist on horror—the film has its genre turned upside down. Five friends suffer numerous tortures all for the sake of social commentary.

11.“ T he Witches”: B a sed on t he acclaimed novel by Roald Dahl, the film follows a recently orphaned boy who discovers an occult of witches that are plotting to rid England of all children. The movie makes you horrified of witches, diabetes and adult women… it also makes you fearful of being a child.

10.“Halloweentown”: A breath-taking classic that displays the origin of the festive holiday in an anarcho-syndicalist commune that works to preserve the history of Halloween. The movie is filmed with practical monsters and effects that bring to life the magic of Halloween and it reminds us to keep searching for who we are.

9.“Halloween”: Director John Carpenter brings to fruition arg uably

one of the greatest horror monsters to life in mental (and homicidal) manic, Michael Myers, who is out to wreak a little Halloween havoc.

8 .“A N i g h t m a r e o n E l m Street”: Alongside Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger is just as memorable as a horror villain. Instead of pursuing you when you are awake and safe, Freddy chooses to attack his victims in the one place they can’t escape: their dreams. Director Wes Craven was able to take something that once felt safe and left everyone horrified to enter his or her beds.

7.“Silence of the Lambs”: A naïve FBI agent is forced to cooperate with Dr. Hannibal—the cannibal—Lector to unearth the workings of a psychopathic murderer. The film forces the audiences to question morality and truth in light of some of the most horrifying events to occur in a film—and it introduces everyone’s favorite cannibal to cinema.

6 .“Gho s tbu s t er s” : Wit h enou g h wit and creepiness this movie is cinematic gold. Ghost are running a muck throughout New York and it is up four halfwits to stop the inevitable forces of darkness, through the aid of their proton-packs and their tongue-in-cheek comedy they become the Ghostbusters.

5 .“ N i g h t m a r e B e f o r e C h r i s t -

Michael Keaton as the eponymous character in No. 1, “Beetlejuice” abc7.com mas”: Classic songs, classic characters, outstanding moral: perfect Halloween movie. (See sidebar on page 12).

4.“The Shining”: The film is chilling to the core with one of the most elaborate film sets and complex characters. It reminds audiences that monsters are not only work of fiction but they permeate throughout all of us.

3.“Shaun of the Dead”: The zombie genre has never been seen a unique visions such as this film presents. It presents of dichotomy of being both

chilling and hysterical in the presence of a zombie outbreak. It leaves the audience wondering if zombies are the next progression of society or are we already zombies.

2.“Hocus Pocus”: Witches, zombies, black cats and virgins, what more can you ask for in a Disney film?

1.“Beetlejuice”: The exemplary Halloween film that has some the greatest writing, characters and sets of any movie. Just never say Beetlejuice’s name three times… n

Unsure which new Hollywood horror flick to hit up this Halloweekend? Maybe this will help.

Crimson Peak

The Last Witch Hunter

Guillermo del Toro, rating: R, runtime: 2 hours

BY Carter Robertson carter.robertson.13@cnu.edu

Crimson Peak is a must see film for anyone who loves a ghost story. After a sudden tragedy in her family, Edith marries a mysterious man, Thomas, and moves to his mansion in America that holds one too many secrets just waiting to reveal themselves.

As with any ghost story things tend to get creepy. Ghost keep appearing to Edith to warn her of the sinister happenings that go on at Crimson Peak. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie for many reasons. One, it kept you interested. After a while many ghost stories tend to drone on and on and on and you get the point, but this movie had a great timing where it revealed the right amount of information at the right time so I was hanging on to every word the characters were saying to get even deeper into the story.

Two, special effects in scary movies make or break a film, and they really made this film. The ghosts were eyecatching. As much as I wanted to look away I just could not (although, if you

ask my friend who went with me she would disagree because she covered her face more times than I could count when they were on the screen).

I am also all for the heart pounding scares that make you leap from your seat which this movie delivered. My friend, myself, and other moviegoers in the theater all left our seats at moments.

Lastly, this movie had a phenomenal cast. Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain and Tom Hiddleston embodied their characters seamlessly. They advanced the plot from the beginning to the end without f law. I highly recommend you go and see this movie because it is so good. I honestly wanted to jump back in line to see it again immediately because it is that good. n

Rating:

Breck Eisner, rating: PG-13, runtime: 1 hour 46 mins

vs.

Kaulder is immortal after being cursed by a witch and lives his neverending life as a witch hunter. All is not well when his friend and protector is murdered and Kaulder must figure out why.

This movie was not the worst or the best film I have seen, it could be summed up as “meh.” I love a good action film and this movie delivered on that front. The special effects and fighting sequences were superb. I was entranced by how the filmmakers used the natural elements with the witches.

The movie also had a great tone to it.

I was anticipating an all around serious movie, but it had light moments that gave it a good balance. It did not bombard with action sequence after action sequence, but it had moments in between where jokes were added in and heartfelt moments occurred that did not in any way hinder the story from shining through.

The movie fell for me, though, in terms of acting. I was heartbroken watchi ng K au lder, pl ayed by Vi n Diesel, literally talk every line with no emotion. It made me sit during the entire movie hoping that the next line he spoke would have some sort of

inflection in it, but I was disappointed every time.

The supporting cast, however, was absolutely phenomenal embodying their characters fully. I hate to say this, and I apologize in advance to my die-hard Vin Diesel fans that are reading this, but I believe the film could have done much better without him.

Put another actor in the spot and I think the film would have soared, but the famed action man just brought the film to halt. I still enjoyed the movie even with this issue that I had with it. I would recommend this film if you are looking for that edge of your seat action film. n

Rating:

LIFESTYLE

Page 14

Club profile: Rumi Intercultural Dialogue Club

New club aims to break down barriers and help students embrace diversity through food and conversation.

By samantha camilletti samantha.camilletti.14@cnu.edu

Our modern world is accumulating new sets of questions with no simple answers: How do we develop and shape culture? What constitutes culture?

How can we create a dialogue between cultures to facilitate understanding and acceptance?

The Rumi Intercultural Dialogue Club (RIDC) is the latest in a series of advocacy groups to take on these kinds of questions.

RIDC was formed last semester by current president, junior Ekrem Hamid Cetinkaya and his friend and current treasurer, sophomore Ahad Khan.

It is a chapter of the expansive Rumi Forum, whose headquarters are in D.C. According to its website, the Rumi Forum’s mission is to “promote peace in the world and contribute to a peaceful coexistence of the adherents of different faiths, cultures, ethnicities and races.”

Peace is generated through respect, and respect is achieved through conversation, seminars, conferences and panel discussions. “We want to have this club in the same way,” Cetinkaya said, “to foster a cu ltural inter- dialog ue and connect clubs and groups and people together.” Cetinkaya created this club on campus because he “wanted to increase the diversity of CNU.” His vision includes a collab-

orative and open atmosphere on campus. The club will rotate themes based on membership.

Currently, the club is promoting Turkish culture, offering authentic Turkish food and drink at its interest meetings and arranging a class where students can learn the Turkish language. “I’m Turkish myself, that’s why I’m doing this. But if someone wants to come — Mexican, Spanish, Africa, Asia, this or that—it doesn’t matter,” Cetinkaya said. “They can say, ‘Hey, I have this great idea to celebrate my culture’ or, ‘We have a holiday coming up. We should eat food and do this and that.’ It’s not just about Turkey, it’s about all cultures, all religions.”

The club is fulfilling these ambitious goals through small steps in the right direction.

“Our goals in the short term are to reach out to people, get connected, and grow our web within CNU and the community. We want to tell people about ou r club, h ave t hem c ome , e at , a nd h ave f u n ,” C eti n k aya said. “A l so, ou r goal is to break down barriers.

Especially between Islam and terrorism, especially now in today’s world.”

Having a parent organization to oversee the process of building a club has certainly helped this small but determined group achieve their lofty goals. The Rumi Forum meets with the club once a month and

RIDC hosted Ertugrul Erkisi, a famous Turkish singer, as well as several Turkish kids from the Newport News community for a performance. photos courtesy of ekrem cetinkaya Baklava and other treats were offered at last year’s opening meeting.

The Rumi International Dialogue Club aims at giving CNU students a taste of Turkish and other international foods. photo

provides a minimum quota of activities for the club to organize. This keeps the group on track as well as encourages the group to work harder, according to Cetinkaya. “I really want to put pressure on this club to be active and grow so it will continue on after I graduate.”

The club seems well on its way to becoming an integral part of campus with a successful interest meeting under its belt and multiple programs in the works. The last meeting covered updates on the Turkish language class and the latest news in Turkey and the Middle East. n

courtesy of ekrem cetinkaya.

Foolproof guide to a spooky, solitary Halloween Bitter about spending the holiday alone? Have no fear, with this guide you won’t have any time to be bitter.

By miller bowe stephen.bowe.15@cnu.edu

Well, here you are: it’s Halloween night a nd you have not hi ng to do. You weren’t invited to any Halloween parties, you don’t have a costume and you’re stuck spending the spookiest night of the year all by your lonesome. Have no fear: I’m here to give you some handy tips on how to spend Halloween if you haven’t been invited anywhere.

Eat A Pumpkin Pumpkins are well-known harbingers of autumn. From mid-September to early December everything is pumpkinspice f lavored, from cookies

to corn chips to soap. Yet, that doesn’t mean the old classic pumpkin has to be out of style.

You can enjoy a plai n, raw pumpkin the way your ancestors once did. Just get a nice, even-sized gourd and take a big old bite out of the rind. Eat the whole thing this way. Just munch the gourd. Don’t cook it or otherwise pervert the delicious pumpkin f lavor. Sure it may be a bit bitter, but doesn’t it just taste like fall?

Meet Dracula Have you ever met Dracula?

He’s actually pretty cool. He’s getting up in years now, so he hasn’t been up to his old mischief much lately. The elderly Rom a ni a n c ou nt cu r rent ly

lives in a retirement home and is always happy to regale visitors with tales of his past. He also has an excellent recipe for blood pudding that he often shares.

Become A HalloweenThemed Professional Wrestler Join the pantheon of themed professional wrestlers. Name yourself “The Jack-O-Lantern” or “The Trick-or-Treater” and enter the ring to the Monster M a sh . B e c om i n g a pr o fe s sional wrestler normally takes years of training and practice; however, if you’re a Halloweenthemed wrestler, you have a pretty short shelf life. As such, you should contact the WWE as

soon as possible and tell them it’s imperative that they put you in the ring immediately.

The fame will be worth it, just trust me on this.

Solve The Great Murder Mysteries Of Our Time Who was Jack the Ripper?

W ho was the Zodiac Killer?

These questions have eluded forensic experts for decades.

Jack slashed throats and disemboweled his victims while the Zodiac targeted young couples and believed his victims would be his slaves in the afterlife.

Both were serial killers, and both wrote taunting letters to the police bragging about their crimes, but neither was ever apprehended. If you are not

doing anything else on Halloween, why not sit down, look at the facts, and solve two of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the criminal justice world? You could probably do it if you put your mind to it.

Even without going to a party you ca n ma ke Ha l loween a fun and productive evening.

You do not need a lcohol or candy to have fun because you can eat whole pumpkins and wrestle. Plus, with the talents and knowledge your solitary Halloween will provide you, you can impress people and intrigue them into inviting you to Halloween parties next year.

And if they don’t, who needs them? There are plenty more gourds to eat. n

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Howl-O-Scream

As it turns out, the scariest thing about the park is: the lines.

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Basic pumpkin spice syrup

By madeleine schuler

By kelsey ripa

madeleine.schuler.14@cnu.edu

kelsey.ripa.12@cnu.edu

Busch Gardens is known as one of the more classy and tasteful amusement parks in Virginia. People of all ages are drawn to it because it offers a host of different rides and activities for children, but also gives adults the chance to have a little fun.

This completely changes in the month of October, when the park is transformed into a Halloween wonderland that is definitely not a place for children. The trees are strung with jack-o-lanterns, water rides are closed down to make room for terrifying haunted houses and extra staff is hired for the sole purpose of frightening guests brave enough to purchase a ticket.

There seems to be a lot of brave souls out there because the park has reached maximum capacity on multiple nights this month. Yet despite the popularity of this event, I found Howl-O-Scream to be lacking in many areas.

I purchased a ticket for Oct. 17 and traveled up to Williamsburg with some of my sorority sisters to experience the frights that Busch Gardens has to offer.

Though I had been to the park before, I had never gone during Howl-O-Scream, as I tended to stay closer to home in Northern Virginia and Kings Dominion’s Halloween Haunt instead.

In comparison, Busch Gardens was lacking in scare factor. There weren’t nearly enough creepy characters dressed up and walking around the park, and the actual scares inside the haunted houses were good, but could’ve been improved had the staff allowed fewer people in at a time. Many of the scares were spoiled by those experiencing them in front of us.

We learned quickly that the most horrifying thing about Busch Gardens was surprisingly not these houses full of disturbingly costumed characters or the eerie feeling that someone was following you, but rather the frighteningly long lines that we would have to face for the remainder of the day.

Parking took over an hour. The lines for the major rollercoasters were one to two hours long. The haunted houses could take anywhere between 45 minutes to two and a half hours to get inside. It was ridiculously overcrowded and that made me wish I could afford the fast passes and VIP passes to bypass the lines and quickly get on rides and into scare zones.

By 10 p.m., in a time frame of more than six hours with one stop for food, we had only been on two roller coasters and

The month of October is a time when all students can unleash their inner basic white girl through the consumption of the reverent pumpkin spice. Here’s a recipe for making the ever-useful pumpkin spice syrup so you can have it ready to add to anything your pumpkin loving heart desires.

All you need is: • • • •

1 cup sugar 1 cup water 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice ($5.59 at Harris Teeter) 2 tbsp pumpkin puree (1 can is $2.29 at Harris Teeter)

The terror of the park was stiffled by enormous crowds throughout the day. Only late at night when the crowds began to leave did the park become more fun. Madeleine schuler/the captain’s log Not sick of pumpkin yet? Try this easy recipe for pumpkin spice syrup. All photos by Kelsey ripa/the captain’s log What to do: 1.

2.

3.

4.

In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water and let it simmer, stirring frequently until all the sugar is dissolved.

Add the pumpkin pie spice and puree, and let it simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes.

Optional: pour the mixture through a strainer into a container to separate the syrup from the solids.

You can use this immediately, or store in a glass jar for up to a month.

Getting into the park could take over an hour at peak times. madeleine schuler/the captain’s log

gotten inside of one haunted house. Fortunately, in the last hour of the night, as many people started filtering out of the park, lines continuously got shorter and we were able to knock out four more haunted houses in only an hour.

Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens is insanely crowded, overpriced and not nearly as scary as it has the potential to be, yet thousands of people swarm into the park each year prepared to experience the “horrors” that the park has to offer. So is it worth it?

That depends. If you bring people that you like and can have a good time with no matter the situation, like I did, I would say yes. But take

this advice into consideration before purchasing a ticket: get there when the park opens at 10 a.m. to have time to ride the coasters before the crowds file in. Look up the map online and figure out a game plan on your way to the park. Don’t waste time taking too many pictures; the best photo-op place is in front of the giant jack-olantern in Ireland. Dress in layers, and if you can’t find hot chocolate or coffee, buy some grilled corn; it is surprisingly delicious and will keep your hands warm for a solid hour.

Stay until the end in order to experience all of the haunts.

And lastly, bring friends that you can have a good time with no matter the situation. n

This can be used for: • • • •

Drizzle it over your pancakes or waffles in the morning (it is syrup, after all!).

Mix 1/4 cup of syrup into half a mug of steamed milk with 2-3 shots of espresso to make your very own pumpkin spice latte.

If you’re not a coffee fan, mix 2 tablespoons of syrup in with your hot tea.

If you want something cool and refreshing, you can even mix 1/4 cup of syrup with a glass of unflavored seltzer water to make a pumpkin spice soda. n

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